According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the New England Patriots made arrangements to bring 1.2 million N95 masks from Shenzhen, China to the United States. Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker asked Patriots team president Jonathan Kraft for his help in getting the masks.
N95 masks are surgical-quality equipment that has been in relatively short supply, especially for healthcare workers trying to stem the tide of the coronavirus. Per the Journal, 300,000 masks have been earmarked for New York State, which currently has the most reported coronavirus cases with over 83,000.
Per Politico, Baker had raised concerns to President Donald Trump about the lack of quality masks from the Strategic National Stockpile, and told Trump that the federal government was out-bidding states on supplies even after the Trump administration had told states to get their own supplies.
“I can’t tell you how frustrated governors, including this one, are about the issue associated with landing the order,” Baker said in a recent press conference. “I stand here as someone who has had confirmed orders for millions of pieces of gear evaporate in front of us.”
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“I’ve never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “In today’s world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us.”
The Krafts paid approximately $2 million for 1.7 million masks, though only 1.2 million could fit on the plane. According to the Journal, the rest of the masks will arrive in a separate shipment.
No days off. Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers. Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen. pic.twitter.com/ieV6XMC5Ow
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) April 2, 2020
“It is an honor for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission,” Robert Kraft said in a statement, per ESPN Boston. “We knew that purchasing greatly-needed N95 masks and providing the Patriots plane to expedite their delivery to local hospitals would immediately help protect our courageous healthcare professionals. Multiple organizations across the public and private sectors, all of which were in lockstep with Governor Charlie Baker’s visionary leadership, worked together to execute this mission with the purpose of helping save lives.
“I truly hope that in doing so, we can in some way inspire others to find creative ways to give more in support of our doctors, nurses and first responders. It’s nice to care for those who provide such compassionate care for us.”
The Patriots’ plane was allowed on the ground for just three hours after it landed. The plane had to be upgraded for international travel, and an automatic 14-day quarantine was lifted as long as nobody on the place touched ground in China. Politico reports that Baker will welcome the plane when it lands with the masks, Robert Kraft, and Massachusetts lieutenant governor Karyn Polito on board. The masks will then be transported by the state’s National Guard to a strategic stockpile in Marlboro, Mass.
“Our first responders, our health care workers, everyone deserves to have that gear,” Baker said. “We’re killing ourselves trying to make it happen.”